Meridian Energy
Encyclopedia
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand
state-owned
electricity
generator
and retailer
. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with 12 percent of market share in terms of customer as of December 2009.
Meridian owns and operates nine hydroelectric power stations and one wind farm in the South Island
of New Zealand, three wind farms in the North Island
, and one wind farm each on Ross Island
, Antarctica and in South Australia
. It is one of two major electricity generators to only generate electricity from renewable sources (the other being TrustPower
), and the only electricity generator in New Zealand to commit itself to only generate electricity from renewable sources. In 2006, Greenpeace
judged Meridian as the only "green" electricity company in New Zealand. Furthermore, in 2007, Meridian was certified as the first carbon neutral
energy company in New Zealand, although the status was later revoked in 2008 when the company had to buy fossil fuel-generated electricity due to inadequate rainfall to fill its hydro lakes that year.
(ECNZ) in 1999 as a result of the reforms of the New Zealand electricity market
. Meridian's share of ECNZ was corporatised
as a state-owned enterprise with its own board of directors
and with two Ministerial shareholders: the Minister of Finance
and the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises
.
In addition, Meridian also operates some industrial combined heat and power
stations in New Zealand, under its subsidiary Energy for Industry.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
state-owned
State-Owned Enterprises of New Zealand
State-owned enterprises in New Zealand are registered companies listed under Schedules 1 and 2 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986...
electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
generator
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
and retailer
Electricity retailing
Electricity retailing is the final process in the delivery of electricity from generation to the consumer. The other main processes are transmission and distribution.- Beginnings :...
. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with 12 percent of market share in terms of customer as of December 2009.
Meridian owns and operates nine hydroelectric power stations and one wind farm in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand, three wind farms in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, and one wind farm each on Ross Island
Ross Island
Ross Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound.-Geography:...
, Antarctica and in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is one of two major electricity generators to only generate electricity from renewable sources (the other being TrustPower
TrustPower
TrustPower Limited is a New Zealand electricity generation and electricity retailing company, listed on the New Zealand stock exchange.TrustPower is New Zealand's fifth largest electricity generator and the fourth largest electricity retailer , serving 260,000 customers throughout New Zealand...
), and the only electricity generator in New Zealand to commit itself to only generate electricity from renewable sources. In 2006, Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
judged Meridian as the only "green" electricity company in New Zealand. Furthermore, in 2007, Meridian was certified as the first carbon neutral
Carbon neutral
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference...
energy company in New Zealand, although the status was later revoked in 2008 when the company had to buy fossil fuel-generated electricity due to inadequate rainfall to fill its hydro lakes that year.
History
Meridian originated from the breakup of the Electricity Corporation of New ZealandElectricity Corporation of New Zealand
The Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Ltd is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise formed on 1 April 1987, as a transition entity in the process of deregulating the New Zealand electricity market...
(ECNZ) in 1999 as a result of the reforms of the New Zealand electricity market
New Zealand Electricity Market
New Zealand's electricity market is regulated by the Electricity Industry Participation Code administered by the Electricity Authority . The Authority was established in November 2010 to replace the Electricity Commission and its publication explains how the market works.- Overview :Until 1987,...
. Meridian's share of ECNZ was corporatised
Corporatization
Corporatization refers to the transformation of state assets or agencies into state-owned corporations in order to introduce corporate management techniques to their administration...
as a state-owned enterprise with its own board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and with two Ministerial shareholders: the Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
and the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises
State-Owned Enterprises of New Zealand
State-owned enterprises in New Zealand are registered companies listed under Schedules 1 and 2 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986...
.
- 2001 - Meridian purchased five mini hydro-power stations in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. These stations linked with dams used primarily for irrigation, and have a total generating capacity of 62 MW.
- September 2001 - Meridian purchased the South IslandSouth IslandThe South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
customer-base of Natural Gas Corporation (NGC), at the time New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's largest electricity retailer. The purchase came towards the end of an exceptionally dry autumn. Low hydro-levels had driven the wholesale market spot prices to very high levels. NGC had purchased the customer-base when CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's TransAltaTransAltaTransAlta Corporation is a power generation and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada, the United States and Australia...
quit New Zealand. NGC re-branded itself as OnEnergy to escape the poor reputation of the "TransAlta" brand. OnEnergy found itself with insufficient generation capacity to stand the high winter market prices, and had made the critical mistake of not purchasing any hedgeHedge (finance)A hedge is an investment position intended to offset potential losses that may be incurred by a companion investment.A hedge can be constructed from many types of financial instruments, including stocks, exchange-traded funds, insurance, forward contracts, swaps, options, many types of...
contracts. It attempted to raise its retail prices, but its customers then flocked to other retailers. Finally, after suffering huge losses, NGC had perforce to quit the retail sector, selling its customer-base to two of the Government's companies: Meridian and Genesis Energy. At that point the New Zealand electricity marketElectricity marketIn economic terms, electricity is a commodity capable of being bought, sold and traded. An electricity market is a system for effecting purchases, through bids to buy; sales, through offers to sell; and short-term trades, generally in the form of financial or obligation swaps. Bids and offers use...
became further vertically integratedVertical integrationIn microeconomics and management, the term vertical integration describes a style of management control. Vertically integrated companies in a supply chain are united through a common owner. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or service, and the products combine to...
, and many have come to believe that this adversely affected competition in the retailElectricity retailingElectricity retailing is the final process in the delivery of electricity from generation to the consumer. The other main processes are transmission and distribution.- Beginnings :...
electricity market.
- April 2003 - Meridian extended its operations in Australia with the purchase of Southern Hydro, increasing its Australian generating capacity by 540 MW.
- Southern Hemisphere Winter 2003 - Low hydro inflows and storage levels again resulted in exceptional wholesale market spot prices. As a consequence, the retailers TrustPowerTrustPowerTrustPower Limited is a New Zealand electricity generation and electricity retailing company, listed on the New Zealand stock exchange.TrustPower is New Zealand's fifth largest electricity generator and the fourth largest electricity retailer , serving 260,000 customers throughout New Zealand...
and Freshstart abandoned market areas where they had no generation. This strengthened Meridian's dominance of the South Island customer-base.
- 29 March 2004 - Meridian cancelled Project AquaProject AquaProject Aqua is an abandoned hydroelectric scheme once proposed for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. Although the scheme had considerable support from some locals, it met with considerable opposition from others, and Meridian Energy decided in March 2004 not to go ahead with the project.The...
, a controversial 524 MW power scheme for six dams and a man-made canalCanalCanals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
on the Lower Waitaki RiverWaitaki RiverThe Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin.It is a braided river which flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo,...
in North OtagoNorth OtagoThe district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama . The large east-coast town of Oamaru serves as North Otago's main centre...
. The scheme allegedly represented the last opportunity for large-scale hydroelectric development of this magnitude in New Zealand. Abandoning the venture cost Meridian NZ$38.7 million. - Meridian stopped the scheme because of uncertainty over rights to use the water, growing costs, and the difficulties and uncertainties with obtaining consents under the Resource Management ActResource Management ActThe Resource Management Act passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water...
legislation. In July 2004, Meridian announced an independent audit of the abandoned scheme.
- 9 December 2004 - then Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
Helen ClarkHelen ClarkHelen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
officially opened the Te Apiti Wind FarmTe Apiti wind farmTe Āpiti is a wind farm owned and operated by Meridian Energy. It is located on 11.5 km² of land north of the Manawatu Gorge in the North Island of New Zealand...
- Meridian's first wind farm.
- 2 June 2005 - Meridian announced a proposal to develop a wind farm west of WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Project West WindProject West WindProject West Wind is a wind farm located at Terawhiti Station and Makara Farm west of Wellington, New Zealand.It is the first wind farm for the capital city, and has a capacity of 143 MW. Construction of the wind farm project began in September 2007 and was completed in late 2009...
with up to 70 wind turbines with a total capacity of 210 MW, built across 55.8 square km on rural land near Makara at the south-western tip of the North IslandNorth IslandThe North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. A local pressure group, the Makara GuardiansMakara GuardiansThe Makara Guardians Inc. is an incorporated society formed in 1997 to coordinate opposition to proposals to build wind turbines near where the members live. Makara is a rural locality 10 km west of Wellington, New Zealand. The Makara Guardians represents some 85% of the families in the Makara...
, opposed the scheme. Successful application for resource consent for the project was announced on 21 December 2005. The consent was subsequently appealed and upheld in May 2007.
- 30 November 2005 - Meridian completed the sale of its Australian operation, Southern Hydro, for AU$1.42 billion (NZ$1.52 billion) to Australian Gas Light CompanyAustralian Gas Light CompanyThe Australian Gas Light Company was an Australian gas and electricity retailer. It was formed in Sydney in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841 AGL was the second company to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company gradually...
. Meridian had steadily expanded and upgraded its assets in Australia since purchase, including commissioning a 91 MW wind-farm. The sale commanded a hefty premium, driven by new demand for renewable energy-generation because of mandatory Australian requirements that electricity retailers sell a proportion of renewable energy.
- 8 June 2007 - The White Hill Wind FarmWhite Hill Wind FarmThe White Hill Wind Farm is a wind farm in New Zealand operated by Meridian Energy. It was officially opened in 2007.It is located six kilometres south-east of Mossburn in the Southland Region of the South Island. The wind farm covers approximately 24 square kilometers of mainly forestry...
is officially opened.
- 29 April 2009 - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
John KeyJohn KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
officially turns on the first 15 turbines on the West WindProject West WindProject West Wind is a wind farm located at Terawhiti Station and Makara Farm west of Wellington, New Zealand.It is the first wind farm for the capital city, and has a capacity of 143 MW. Construction of the wind farm project began in September 2007 and was completed in late 2009...
wind farm.
- 1 June 2011 - The sale of Meridian Energy's Tekapo A and Tekapo B hydroelectric power stations to Genesis Energy took effect. The sale was part of a package of government reforms aimed at improving the electricity sector.
Power stations
Meridian Energy owns and operates seven hydroelectric power stations in the South Island - six on the Waitaki River and at Manapouri. It also owns and operates six wind farms in New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica, and a single turbine in Brooklyn, Wellington. In total, Meridian has a total installed capacity of 2,639 MW in New Zealand and 71 MW overseas.In addition, Meridian also operates some industrial combined heat and power
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
stations in New Zealand, under its subsidiary Energy for Industry.
| Name | Type | Location | No. turbines | Capacity (MW) | Annual generation (average GWh) | Commissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand stations | |||||||
| Aviemore Aviemore Dam The Aviemore Dam is a dam of the Waitaki River in New Zealand. Built from earth and concrete in the 1960s to dam Lake Aviemore, it is one of the major dams of Meridian Energy, and is used to power a hydroelectric power plant... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River Waitaki River The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin.It is a braided river which flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo,... |
4 | 220 | 942 | 1968 | |
| Benmore Benmore Dam Benmore Dam is the largest dam within the Waitaki power scheme, located in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. There are eight other power stations in the valley.... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River | 6 | 540 | 2215 | 1965 | |
| Manapouri Manapouri Power Station Manapouri Power Station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of Lake Manapouri in Fiordland National Park, in the South Island of New Zealand... |
Hydroelectric | Lake Manapouri Lake Manapouri Lake Manapouri is a lake in the South Island of New Zealand. Its name is Maori for "sorrowful heart", though this name is misapplied due to an early cartographical error... , Fiordland National Park Fiordland National Park Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site... |
7 | 730 | 4800 | 1971 | |
| Ohau A Ohau A Ohau A is a power station operated by Meridian Energy in the South Island of New Zealand.It is located on the artificial Ohau canal. The dam is fed by water from Lake Ohau and Lake Pukaki and spills into the artificial Lake Ruataniwha.... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River | 4 | 264 | 1140 | 1979 | |
| Ohau B Ohau B Ohau B is a power station operated by Meridian Energy in the South Island of New Zealand.It is a twin station with Ohau C and is part of the Waitaki hydro scheme which consists of eight power stations operated from a control centre near Twizel... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River | 4 | 212 | 958 | 1984 | |
| Ohau C Ohau C Ohau C is a power station operated by Meridian Energy in the South Island of New Zealand.It is a twin station with Ohau B and is part of the Waitaki hydro scheme which consists of eight power stations operated from a control centre near Twizel... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River | 4 | 212 | 958 | 1985 | |
| Te Āpiti Te Apiti wind farm Te Āpiti is a wind farm owned and operated by Meridian Energy. It is located on 11.5 km² of land north of the Manawatu Gorge in the North Island of New Zealand... |
Wind | Ruahine Ranges | 55 | 91 | 320 | 2004 | |
| Te Uku Te Uku Wind Farm Te Uku Wind Farm is a wind farm at Te Uku near Raglan, New Zealand. It has a capacity of 64MW using 28 wind turbines. Construction was completed in March 2011, at a cost of $200 million. The farm covers an area of approximately . The wind farm is jointly owned by WEL Networks and Meridian... |
Wind | near Raglan, Waikato | 28 | 64.4 | 2011 | ||
| Waitaki Lake Waitaki Lake Waitaki is the smallest, oldest and farthest downstream of the three man-made lakes of the Waitaki hydroelectric project in New Zealand's South Island. It lies below lakes Aviemore and Benmore on the Waitaki River, close to the town of Kurow... |
Hydroelectric | Waitaki River | 7 | 105 | 496 | 1934 | |
| Wellington Wind Turbine | Wind | Brooklyn Brooklyn, New Zealand Brooklyn, a suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Brooklyn is a blend of circa 1900 weatherboard villa / bungalow houses around the central part of Brooklyn, blending more recent subdivisions built in the 1970's and 1990's. The shops / bars / cinema / food outlets have created a... , Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... |
1 | 0.23 | 1 | 1993 | |
| West Wind Project West Wind Project West Wind is a wind farm located at Terawhiti Station and Makara Farm west of Wellington, New Zealand.It is the first wind farm for the capital city, and has a capacity of 143 MW. Construction of the wind farm project began in September 2007 and was completed in late 2009... |
Wind | Makara, west of Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... |
62 | 143 | 600 | 2009 | |
| White Hill White Hill Wind Farm The White Hill Wind Farm is a wind farm in New Zealand operated by Meridian Energy. It was officially opened in 2007.It is located six kilometres south-east of Mossburn in the Southland Region of the South Island. The wind farm covers approximately 24 square kilometers of mainly forestry... |
Wind | near Mossburn Mossburn Mossburn is a small town in the northern Southland Region of New Zealand, south of Queenstown and east of Te Anau. In 2001, it had a usually resident population of 240, consisting of 129 males and 111 females. This constituted a 12.1% decrease in population since the previous New Zealand Census of... , Southland Southland Region Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura... |
29 | 58 | 230 | 2007 | |
| Overseas stations | |||||||
| Ross Island Wind Energy | Wind | Ross Island, Antarctica | 3 | 1 | 2010 | Supplies Scott Base Scott Base Scott Base is a research facility located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two British expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica... and McMurdo Station McMurdo Station McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National... |
|
| Mt Millar | Wind | southwest of Whyalla, South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
35 | 70 | |||
Proposed
Projects being developed by Meridian Energy include the following.| Name | Type | Capacity | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Gumfields | Wind | near Ahipara, Northland | ||
| Rototuna Rototuna Wind Farm Rototuna Wind Farm is a proposed wind farm in the Rototuna Forest in Northland, New Zealand. The concept is being developed by Meridian Energy, and has the potential to produce up to 500 MW.... |
Wind | 500 MW | Northland west coast | |
| Mohaka | Hydro | 44 MW | Mohaka River, south of Wairoa | |
| Project Central Wind Project Central Wind Project Central Wind is a proposed wind farm located on the Hihitahi Plateau between Waiouru and Taihape, New Zealand. Meridian Energy is developing the wind farm, which is planned to comprise 52 turbines and produce up to 130 MW.- Consent Process :... |
Wind | 130 MW | between Waiouru and Taihape, North Island | consents granted upheld by Env Court |
| Windy Peak | Wind | 8 km SE of Martinborough Martinborough Martinborough is a town in South Wairarapa, a district in the Wellington region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton... |
consultation | |
| Mill Creek Mill Creek Wind Farm Mill Creek Wind Farm is a proposed wind farm in the Ohariu Valley near Wellington, New Zealand.The wind farm is being developed by Meridian Energy. The consent application described a total capacity of up to 71.3MW... |
Wind | 71 MW | Ohariu Valley, north-west of Wellington | |
| Mokihinui Mokihinui Hydro The Mokihunui Hydro is a proposed hydroelectric dam and power station planned for the Mokihinui River on the West Coast of New Zealand. The project is being developed by Meridian Energy and is expected to cost $300 million. In April 2010, resource consents to dam the Mokihinui River were granted to... |
Hydro | 60 MW | Mokihinui Mokihinui Mokihinui is a lightly populated locality on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.Mokihinui is on the Tasman Sea coastline north of Westport and is on the southern side of the Mokihinui River's mouth... , north of Westport |
consents granted |
| Hurunui Hurunui Windfarm Project Hurunui is a proposed wind farm located between Omihi and Greta Valley in north Canterbury, New Zealand. Meridian Energy is developing the wind farm, which is planned to produce up to 75.9 MW from 2014.... |
Wind | 80 MW | Greta Valley Greta Valley Greta Valley is a small town 83 km north of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was named after the Greta River in Yorkshire by local runholders Sir Charles Clifford and Sir Frederick Weld in the 1850s, but it is to the east of the Greta River and on the south bank of the Waikari River.-References:... , North Canterbury |
|
| North Bank tunnel North Bank tunnel The North Bank tunnel concept is a hydroelectric scheme being developed by Meridian Energy on the Waitaki River in Canterbury, New Zealand. The $993 million project is expected to produce an additional 1100 to 1400 GWh pa, and take up to 260 m³/s of water from Lake Waitaki... |
Hydro | 280 MW | on the Waitaki River | water rights granted 2009 |
| Pukaki | Hydro | 35 MW | on the Pukaki River Pukaki River The Pukaki River flows through the Mackenzie Basin, Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island.Originally, the river flowed southwest for 15 kilometres from the southern end of Lake Pukaki before joining with the Tekapo River and flowing into the northern end of Lake Benmore... |
consents granted |
| Hunter Downs | Irrigation | Waitaki River, South Canterbury | ||
| Project Hayes Project Hayes Project Hayes is a controversial wind farm proposed for the Lammermoor Range of Otago, New Zealand.It has a proposed capacity of up to 630MW, making it the largest wind farm project in the southern hemisphere. The proposed farm would cover an area of approximately 92 km², use up to 176 wind... |
Wind | 630 MW | central Otago | High Court upheld Meridian's appeal and sent case back to Environment Court |
| Manapouri amended discharge project | Hydro | Consents Granted | ||
| Macarthur Macarthur Wind Farm The Macarthur Wind Farm is a wind farm under construction in Victoria, Australia, being built by a joint venture formed by AGL Energy and Meridian Energy. The project is located in Macarthur, Victoria on a 5,500 ha site and it has been permitted to generate up to 420 MW. The wind farm will... |
Wind | 450 MW | Victoria, Australia | Joint venture with AGL AGL Energy AGL Energy is the largest Australian gas and electricity retailer, with over six million customers. It has large investments in the supply of gas and electricity, and has recently invested in sustainable energy businesses such as wind farms and a hydroelectric power station in Victoria’s High... Consents granted |
Subsidiaries
- Arc Innovations, developing smart meters that are being installed in its Christchurch customers’ households and enabling better use of energy.
- Cleantech America, a solar power company based in California, USA. Cleantech develops utility scale photovoltaicPhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
solar farms, such as the 5 MW CalRENEW-1 facility at Mendota, CaliforniaMendota, CaliforniaMendota is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 11,014 at the 2010 census. The State Routes 180 and 33 run through the agricultural city. Mendota is located south-southeast of Firebaugh, at an elevation of 174 feet ....
. - Damwatch Services Limited, consultancy specialising in dam engineering, safety and surveillance.
- Energy for Industry Limited, an industrial energy company with on-site fossil and wood waste fueled plants
- PowershopPowershopPowershop is a New Zealand state-owned online electricity retailer. Powershop claims to be the first electricity company in the world where consumers can choose between different brands of electrical power listed on the website and switch between them with the click of a button. Different brands of...
, an electricity retail broker - Right House Limited, providing household advice on energy efficiency
- Whisper Tech Limited, producer of the WhisperGen micro combined heat and power system
See also
- Electricity sector in New ZealandElectricity sector in New ZealandThe electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. The 70% share of renewable energy sources makes New Zealand one of the lowest carbon dioxide emitting countries in terms of electricity generation....
- Project CrimsonProject CrimsonProject Crimson is a conservation initiative to promote the protection of the pohutukawa and the rata which are under threat due to browsing by the introduced Common Brushtail Possum...
, a conservation programme sponsored by Meridian Energy
External links
- Meridian Energy
- Meridian Energy headquarters building
- Energy for Industry - a subsidiary company
- Right House - Meridian's energy efficiency programme
- Aurora history of competition in NZ electricity